Fluid operated pump for oil wells and the like



Oct. 19, 1948. R. B. KNOWLES FLUID OPERATED PUMP FOR OIL V IELLS AND THELIKE Filed March 15, 1946 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f1 L7 3 W/// 7/ 7/r////////7//// QW//// nl-il I :H Hus;

Oct. 19, 1948. R. B. KNOWLES 2,451,560

FLUID 01 2mm) PUMP FOR on. WELLS AND THE LIKE Filed flaxn 15, 1946 2Shets-Sheet 2 C/l. Q IF 24 AZ /3c,

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JJZVezztDl" '54.? Robert .E'L, Kinny/c5 5 21M rfwzl Patented Oct. 19,1948 FLUID OPERATED PUMP FOR 011. WELLS AND THE LIKE Robert B..-Knowles,Maywood, Calif. Application March 15, 1946, Serial N0. 654,661

- 8 Claims. (Cl. 103-46) This invention relates to pumps of thecharacter particularly designedi'or use in the oil well industry, inwhich operation of the pump is eftected by the admission of a fluidintermittently under pressure to the pump actuating mechanism,

and isparticularly designed .to provide an improved construction overthat shown in U. 8; Patent No. 2,342,855.

Prior art pumps in use at the present time provide very little space forthe working parts and are relatively complicated and delicate, causingconsiderable loss of time and expense for proper maintenance.

, As used in the oil well industry, pumps may be. situated thousands offeet below the surface of the ground and it is very desirable that theconstruction of the pump should be. as simple as possible in order toprovide adequate space for the arrangement of parts ofsufllcientruggedness to operate successfully under very heavy loads.

It is an object of the present invention to provide pump operatingmechanism of simple construction in order to provide adequate space forthe working parts of the mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide fluid operated pumpmechanism permitting of.

ready adaptation ,to particular tions. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fluid operatedpump mechanism in which the usual provision of macaroni or smalldiameter tubing leading from the ground surface to working conditheoperating mechanism may be dispensed with.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings,

' in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the lower portion of-the pumpactuating mechanism which has been broken into two views;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the pumpactuating means, the mechanisms in Figs. 1 and 2. being shown in theposition of the parts when nearing the end of the lifting or pumpingstroke;

- Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a special packer drawn to alarger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, connected in a tube extending to thesurface of the ground; a

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section of a standard packer positionedbelow the special packer of my invention, drawn on a smaller scale;

Fig. 5 is a'vertical section, to a larger scale, through a plate valve;7

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the plate valve shown'in Fis- Fig. 7 is asection on line 1-1 01' Fig. 1, drawn on a larger scale; and

,Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the rela-- tive positions of thevarious components of the pump in assembled relation in a well.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 in Figs. 1 and 2 indicates thebarrel containing the pump operating mechanism and which is suspended inthe well casing l2 by a tube 24 screwed to union 28 and extendingupwardly through a standard packer i3 engaging with the well casing(Fig. 4) and serving to carry the weight of, the barrel. Tube 24actually is composed of a plurality of different sections jointedtogether but for clearness is referred to as one length of tube,extending from the barrel Hi to the surface of the ground. Tube 24continues upwardly .from the standard packer l3 through special packerl4 contained within the tube 24 and positioned by a supporting ring 22held between lengths of tube 24, at a joint 16.

At the surface of the ground, tube 24 is con-v nected to any appropriatemechanism supplying fluid, eith'er liquid or gaseous, under intermittentpressure, to the operating. mechanism in the barrel l0 through the tube.Operating fluid is directed by the special packer l4 into an inner tube54 mounted within tube 24 and extending within that tube to mechanismwithin barrel Ill. The special packer acts to seal the top of the innertube 54 to tube 24 by packing 30. arranged between tube 54 and a sleeve32 screwing into the ring 22 and threaded at its lower end to receive apacker tightener sleeve 36, a follower ring 38 being supported on thetightener sleeve. The tightener sleeve 36 projects sufilciently belowthe end of sleeve 32 to enable it to be gripped by the usual pipewrenches and is screwed into the sleeve to compress the packing, whichmay be of the chevron type, between the follower ring 38 and a ring 34acting as alower abutment for a spring 42, the upper end of which abutsagainst the ring .22. The purpose of this spring is to facilitateloosening .of the packing when releasing the grip of the special packeron the tube 54.

Standard packer I3 is modified by the provision of outlets in the union52 leading from between tubes 24 and 54 into the space between the upperend of the packer i3 and the inside of the well casing through whichspace oil and exhaust working fluid flow upwardly and out of the well.The packer I3 comprises the usual rubber packing rings l3a, slips |3bworking against cone slip seat I8c, slip setting springs I8d and springlooking sleeve I'3e.

The barrel I8 is formed as a cylinder having an inwardly tapered upperend 26 which is secured to the lower end of tub 24 by coupling 28. Thebarrel is divided into an upper compartment 29 and lower compartment 8|by means of a partition 58 secured, as by welding, to the inner surfaceof the barrel and provided with a series of bores 51 controlled by aplate valve generally indicated by 59, and more fully describedhereinafter.

An upstanding tubular member 56 is screwed into a threaded bore in theplate or partition 58, the upper end of the tubular member beingconnected to the lower end of the tube 54. Below partition 58, anoperating piston 88 is positioned and is provided with an upwardyextending tube 62 passing into the tubular member 58'. Tube 82 passes atits upper end through a head 64 secured thereon which has apressure-tight sliding fit within the cylindrical member 58, thisconstruction affording a telescopic joint through which the workingfluid flows.

A passage 65 is rovided through the operating piston 88 communicating atits upper end with the bore of the tube 62, and with the lower surfaceof the piston 88 at its lower end. A plurality of valves 68 are arrangedin bores 89 extending vertically through the operating piston.

The valves are formed, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention,with stems I8 and and mushrooms heads 'II. The upper end of the boresare threaded and plugs 12 are screwed therein. Compression springs 18are arranged between the abutments I4 pinned to the valve stems and theplugs 12. Conduits 18 are arranged to extend between the valve seats andthe upper surface of the operating piston 68. The operation of thevalves will be later described.

A piston rod 88 is screwed at its upper end into the piston 68 andextends downwardly through a spider 82, having passages 84 therethrough,arranged towardv the lower end of the barrel I8, and is connected to thepiston 96 of the usual reciprocated plunger type pump, which obviouslymay be substituted by any other type of plunger pump. The lower end ofthe pump barrel 84 is fitted with a standing valve 88, while a travelingvalve I88 (Fig. 7) is arranged at the lower end of the piston rod toenable oil in the pump barrel to flow through a bore IBM in the lowerend of the piston rod past the valve I88 and outwardly above the upperface of the pump piston 88 through op nings I82.

The weight of the moving parts, in mechanism operating deep well pumps,may be sufllcient to cause the piston 88 and pump piston 88 to settlewith sufiicient speed to the bottom of its stroke when the working fluidis relieved of pressure, but in order to secure a rapid back-down ofthese parts in the case of shallow wells, I may utilize a compressionspring 88 (Fig. 1) arranged between the lower surface of the spider 82and an abutment 98 pinned to the valve rod 88.

A length of relatively light spring 88 is seated on the upper surface ofthe spider 82 in position to engage against the mushroom heads II of thevalves 68 toward the end of the downward movement of the piston 68 andinsure the positive closing of the valves;-

The plate valve means used to assure one-way upward flow of the oilthrough the holes 51 in partition 58 is preferably formed as a sleevesurrounding said tubular member havi g a W85!!- erlike face, as hillyshown in Figs. 5 and 6 and generally indicated at 59 in Fig. 2. Thevalve comprises a washerlike lower face I88 providing a tapered valveseat engaging face I81, and a vertical sleeve I88 surrounding theupstanding tubular member 56, the inside diameter of the tubular memberbeing considerably greater than the outside diameter of member 56.

The inside surface of the sleeve I88 is provided with a plurality ofinclined vanes II8 extending toward and sliding on the surface of thetubular member 56, the vanes being provided for the purpose of effectingan intermittent rotary movement of the valve, due to the oil flowingthrough the space between the tubular member 56 and plate valve, inorder to secure a cleaning action on the contacting surfaces of thevalve and valve seating surface.

It will be seen from the above described construction that the operatingmechanism for the pump comprises essentially a single barrel dividedinto upper and lower compartments, the operating fluid, either liquid orgas, being introduced into the lower compartment by the constructioninsuring that it cannot enter the upper compartment except after havingraised the piston 68 to the upper end of its stroke. By this simplifiedconstructiom'sumcient space is provided for the various passages andvalves controlling them so that the passages and working parts can bemade of substantial size, both to secure adequate strength, reducefriction, and to avoid the danger, present in small diameter passages,and becoming clogged with sand or other matter.

The operation of the pump mechanism will now be described. Before fluidpressure is applied to the operating mechanism, the operating piston 88will be at the lower end of its stroke and the valves 88 controlling thepassages I8 through the piston 88 will have been closed by engagementwith the spring 88. The reciprocating pump piston 88 will have a columnof oil within pump cylinder 94 standing above the-traveling valve I88and the interior of the barrel I8, will be filled with the oil. On theadmission of fluid under pres-'- 1 sure through the inner tube 5|,operating fluid will pass through tube 82 and through passage 66 to thespace below operating piston 88 forcing the piston to move upwardly andholding closed the mushroom valves 88, thus moving reciprocating pumppiston 88 to the top of its stroke and drawing a fresh charge of oilinto the pump cylinder 94 through the standing valve 98.

Shortly before the operating piston 68 reaches its uppermost position,the projecting stems I8 of the valves 68 will strike the undersuriace ofthe partition 58, causing the valves 88 to snap open against thepressure of the gas below the piston, the movement being aided by theeflort of the springs I8. The fluid under pressure will then flowthrough the passages 18 in the piston 88, into the space between thetubular member 58 and the wall of the barrel III and will pass upwardlybetween the outer surface of the tube 88 and the inner surface of thetube 24 through the standard packer I3 and outwardly through the bore I5at the top of the standard packer into the space between the tube 24 andthe well casing I2 and will flow out of the top of the well.

The oil which is displaced from above the operating piston 88 on itsupward stroke will flow through the passages 51 through the partitionI58, raising the valve 58 from its seat, rotating it to a greater orlesser degree, and passing into the same space as that into which theworking fluid, either liquid or gas under pressure, is exhausted. If agaseous working fluid is used, the exhaust gas will aerate the oil,thereby accelerating its upward movement.

When the pressure is removed from the operating fluid by the mechanismat the surface, the pump operating parts will sink to their initialposition by gravity, the valves 68 remaining open during a portion ofthe down stroke to permit oii below the piston 60 to pass throughpassages 18 to the upper surface of the piston 60, the Oil trapped inthe pump reciprocating cylinder above the standing valve 98 movingthrough the path provided through the lower end of the piston rod so tothe space above the reciprocating pump piston 96.

It is pointed out that by providing valve rods of different lengths, thesuddenness with which the gas below the piston 60 is released may beadjusted, thus providing a desirable degree of adjustment for difl'erentheads against which the pump must be able to work.

It will be noted that the parts are relatively few in number and simplein construction, insuring low cost of manufacture and of maintenance.

The invention has been described and illustrated in a preferred form.but it is to be understood, that the scope of the invention is not inany way limited by this illustrative showing but only as indicated bythe scopeof the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In well pumping apparatus having means for intermittently supplyingworking fluid under pressure, a, barrel for mounting in the well, apartition dividing the barrel into an upper compartment and a lowercompartment, a port in the partition, a non-return valve controllingsaid port, a working fluid actuated piston reciprocably mounted in thelower compartment, a first conduit fixed in the barrel and adapted atits top end for communication with the pressure means, a second conduitflxed at its bottom end to the piston and having its top endreciprocably fitting in the lower end of the first conduit whereby todeliver working fluid under pressure to the lower compartment below saidpiston, a discharge port through the piston, a check valve seating insaid discharge port towards the upper compartment, means for'unseatingthe check valve in response to predetermined upward movement a of thepiston, a pump connected to said piston for drawing fluid from the wellinto said lower compartment below said piston upon movement of saidpiston upwardly, means for trapping fluid from the well in the lowercompartment below the piston upon downward movement of said piston,

' and means for passing fluid from the upper compartment.

2. In well pumping apparatus having pressure means for intermittentlysupplying working fluid under pressure, a barrel for mounting in thewell, a partition dividing the barrel into an upper compartment and alower compartment, a port in the partition, a. non-return valvecontrolling said port, a fluid actuated piston reciprocably mounted inthe lower compartment, a first conduit fixed in the barrel and adaptedat its top end for communication with the pressure means, a secondconduit fixed at its bottom end to the piston and having its top endreciprocably fitting in the lower end of the first conduit whereby todeliver working fluid under pressure to the lower compartment below saidpiston,\a discharge port through the piston, a check valve seating insaid discharge port towards the upper compartment, conduit means forconducting spent working fluid and well fluid from said uppercompartment to the surface of the ground, a cylinder carried by thelower end of the barrel, an inlet port in the lower end portion of thecylinder, a check valve seating in said port towards the well, a""pumppiston reciprocably mounted in the cylinder above said inlet port, rodmeans operatively connecting the pump piston to the fluid actuatedpiston, a port in the pump piston for passing fluid upward- 1y throughthe pump piston during downward movement of the pump piston and valvemeans in said last named port for preventing return flow of said wellfluid.

3. In well pumping apparatus having pressure means for intermittentlysupplying working fluid under pressure, a barrel for mounting in thewell, a partition dividing the barrel into an upper compartment and alower compartment, a port in the partition, a non-return valvecontrolling said port and preventing downward movement of fluidtherethrough, a fluid actuated piston reciprocably mounted in the lowercompartment, a first conduit fixed in the barrel and adapted at its topend for communication with the pressure means, a second conduit flxed atits bottom end to the piston and having its top end reciprocably fittingin the lower end of the flrst conduit whereby to deliver working fluidunder pressure to the lower compartment below said piston, a pair ofdischarge ports through the piston; a check valve controlling eachportand seating towards the upper compartment, a pair of valve opening stemsconnected at, their lower ends to the respective check valves andprojecting at their top ends from the top of the piston -for abutmentagainst the partition, one of said stems projecting further from thepiston than the other, a pump connected to said piston for drawing fluidfrom the well into said lower compartment below said piston uponmovement of said piston upwardly, means for trapping fluid from the wellin the lower compartment below the piston and means for passing spentworking fluid and well fluid from the upper compartment.

4. In well pumping apparatus having pressure the lower end of the firstconduit whereby to deliver fluid under pressure to the lower compartmentbelow said piston, a discharge port through the piston, a check valveseating in said discharge port towards the upper compartment, means forunseating the check valve in response to predetermined upward movementof the piston, means for introducing well fluid into the lowercompartment below the piston in response to upward movement of thepiston arid means for passing spent working fluid and well fluid fromthe upper compartment. I

5. In well pumping apparatus having pressure means for intermittentlysupplying working fluid under pressure; a barrel adapted to be mountedand extending downwardly therefrom; a pump cylinder secured to thebottom of said barrel; a

pump piston working within said pump cylinder and mounted on the lowerend of said piston rod; a traveling valve controlling the flow of wellfluid from the pump cylinder below said pump piston into said barrel; astanding valve arranged in the bottom of the pump cylinder; and conduitmeans for conducting exhausted working fluid and well fluid to thesurface of the ground.

6. In well pumping apparatus having pressure means forintermittently'supplying working fluid under pressure, a barrel formounting in the well, said barrel having a well fluid inlet in itsbottom end and a fluid outlet in its topend, a non-return valvecontrolling said inlet, an operating piston reciprocably mounted in thebarrel, a pump connected to said piston for drawing fluid from the wellinto said barrel below said piston upon upward movement of said piston,a

, valve-controlled port in the piston for passing spent working fluidand well fluid through the piston at the upper end of its upward strokeand during downward movement ofthe piston, means for trapping said fluidpassed through the piston above the piston against return flow, conduitmeans ior conducting said trapped fluid to the surface of I the ground,and telescopic conduit means for passing working fluid under pressurefrom the pressure means to the barrel below the piston, said conduitmeans extending through the piston. a l

7. In well pumping apparatus having pressure wardly through the pistonat the upper end of means for intermittently supplying working fluid I 8its upward stroke and during downward movement thereof, a flrst conduitmounted in said barrel and extending upwardly inside said tubing for alimited distance providing a space between the tubing and said firstconduit, packing means sealing off said space at a point above said barrel, said tubing having a discharge opening in its wall at a pointbetween said barrel and said packing means, a second conduit mounted atits lower end in said piston and extending upwardly into the lower endof-said first conduit and reciprocably fitting therein, the lower end ofsaid second conduit being in communication with the under side of saidpiston whereby to deliver working fluid below the piston, and means fordrawing well fluid into the lower end of said barrel and for trappingthe same therein.

8. In well pumping apparatus having pressure means for intermittentlysupplying working fluid under pressure, a well tubing communicating withsaid pressure means at its upper end, a barrel mounted at the lower endof said tubing and open thereto, a piston in said barrel, a valvecontrolled port in the piston for passing fluid upwardly through thepiston at the upper end of its upward stroke and during downwardmovement thereof, means for trapping fluid passed through the pistonagainst return flow, a first conduit mounted in said barrel andextending upwardly inside said tubing for a limited distance providing aspace between the tubing and said first conduit, packing means sealingof! said space ata point above said barrel, said tubing having adischarge opening in its wall at a point between said barrel and saidpacking means, asecond conduit mounted at its lower end in said pistonand extending upwardly into the lower end of said first conduit andreciprocably fitting therein, the lower end of said second conduit beingin communication with the under side of said piston whereby to deliverworking fluid below the piston, and means for drawing well fluid intothe lower end of said barrel and for trapping the same therein.

ROBERT B. KNOWLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

